The Vigil
by Eggbert
Summary: Draco is ill in the hospital wing bringing a surprise for his father and a host of unwanted memories for Professor Snape. Warning - Slash.


THE VIGIL by Eggbert  
  
  
Summary: - Draco is ill in the hospital wing bringing both a surprise for his father and a host of unwanted memories for Professor Snape.  
  
Rating - PG13 for very light slash.  
  
Disclaimer: - Not mine and never will be. They're just exercising in the pit of my imagination.  
  
Dedication: - To Neddy, the fairest of them all and whose fault all of this is.  
  
Notes: - This one has been festering in the corner written on compressed squares of vegetable matter. One of my earliest stories when I was into (almost) canon pairings.  
  
  
  
Severus Snape was taking his turn at the boy's bedside, in tandem with Madam Pomfrey. Boy. He was barely eighteen but at that moment looked younger, his face deathly pale, his silky blond hair clinging to his face like wet feathers.  
  
So ill. So desperately ill and yet no sign of his parents. The swiftest school owl had been despatched and still there was no word. A heartfelt request from the limp figure in the bed during his brief spells of consciousness, one Severus didn't feel ready to grant. Not yet. He could imagine the boys father's face if he came tearing in here and saw, well, that.  
  
Madam Pomfrey approached quietly, took Draco's pulse and temperature and sighed heavily.  
  
" Still nothing from Mr and Mrs Malfoy, Professor? " Severus shook his head. She smiled at him.  
  
" I'll stay with him for a bit now. Go and have yourself a break. He'll be okay for half an hour without you."  
  
He smiled gratefully at her. He was longing to sink into a hot bath. A gallon of tea would be more than welcome too.  
  
Bathed, refreshed and in clean robes, he returned to the hospital wing.  
  
There he was. Lucius Malfoy, bending over his son's bed. He turned at the sound of Severus's footsteps and the two men looked at each other.  
  
" Lucius. "  
  
" Severus. I just got your owl. Damn thing must have been blown off-course. What happened to him? "  
  
" Burst appendix." He replied shortly. " He'll live, though it was touch and go for a while. "  
  
Lucius covered his face with his hands and, in spite of himself, Severus put an arm round the other man's shaking shoulders, offering what comfort he could.  
  
Pushing away the memory of the many times he had held this man so close, a delicious prelude to the most exquisite pleasure he had ever experienced with another human being. So long ago..when he would have given anything for the gentle touch of Lucius's lips on his own.  
  
Lucius distanced himself from the other man, unreadable emotion in his grey eyes.  
  
" Thank you, Severus. " he said quietly. " If anything had happened to him...my only one..." He shook his head fiercely.  
  
They sat on opposite sides of the bed, Lucius warming Draco's hand in his, talking quietly to his son. Severus observed him through half-lidded eyes.  
  
He was still so beautiful. His silver-blond hair shining in the soft candlelight, his lithe body swathed in exquisitely tailored robes.  
  
It had been so simple between them once. Severus had fallen in love with the beautiful, diamond-hard Quidditch captain and found, to his incredulous joy, that his love was returned. Lucius Malfoy, lusted after by so many, wanted him and was fiercely protective of the tall, dark-haired Potions genius.  
  
The first time they kissed, the first time they ever made love returned to haunt Severus in poisonously sweet dreams which left him trembling, sticky and aching for his loss.  
  
He had loved Lucius so very much; he would have done anything for him. Which is how they had served Voldemort together, the Dark Lord finding cruel amusement in the lover's devotion to each other.  
  
And then Severus's heart had been broken so badly that, nineteen years later; he was still looking for all the pieces.  
  
Via an anonymous owl he received, of all things, a wedding invitation. To the wedding of Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa von Starke. His Lucius. He couldn't believe it. It was some kind of sick joke, surely?  
  
Lucius was trembling as he tried to explain to a slowly simmering Severus.  
  
" It's an arranged marriage. " he whimpered, tears flooding down his pale cheeks. " My father insists or I'm disinherited. The Malfoys need an heir."  
  
" So that's it. " said Severus coldly.  
  
" They don't know how much I love you, Severus. " said Lucius despairingly. " My father would kill me if he knew I was in love with another man. "  
  
That brought Severus's anger into check. Augustus Malfoy, Lucius's father, was pure evil and had a notorious temper. Severus knew it was no idle threat. He would indeed kill his own son without a qualm.  
  
" It's okay. " said Severus gently, capturing his lover's tearstained face in his hands. " You have to go through with it, for all our sakes. I'll always love you, Lucius."  
  
He kissed his lover's parted lips, a warm, tender kiss that was full of love and despair and regret, quickly Disapparating before Lucius could see him crying.  
  
Severus attended the wedding because it would have been remarked on if he had not. The new Mrs Malfoy was blonde, elegant and had all the warmth of a penguin on an iceberg. Lucius was smiling but Severus, who knew him so well, knew he was dying inside.  
  
A year later Severus was the new Potions Master at Hogwarts, living a dangerous double existence and Lucius had become a father.  
  
When Voldemort met his downfall in little Harry Potter, Lucius was the first to recant and from then on presented a respectable face to the world. Severus wasn't fooled. Meanwhile, Severus continued teaching; something (to his secret horror) he was very good at, sometimes despairing of the happiness that had been so briefly his.  
  
Ten years later a small carbon copy of Lucius was Sorted into Slytherin. Severus squandered quasi-paternal affection on the boy, realising that was the closest he would ever get to the man who had been the centre of his universe.  
  
And now here they were, reunited over the bedside of a sick boy. So much to say; not enough words. How do you bridge the gap of nineteen years?  
  
" Where's his mother? " asked Severus. Lucius shrugged elegantly.  
  
" Out screwing somewhere. I'm sure she'll turn up once he's out of the woods. One thing about Narcissa, you can never rely on her in a crisis. " He said all that without a trace of bitterness, only apathy and Severus felt his heart ache for him.  
  
" Is it that bad? " he enquired.  
  
" We're only still together because of him. " said Lucius, squeezing his son's hand. " She's never been faithful to me since he was born. Our marriage is a sham, but no one has realised."  
  
Their gazes locked and Severus saw only the truth in the other man's eyes.  
  
Draco stirring in the bed broke the intensity of the moment. His eyes didn't open, but he spoke. The same heartfelt request. Just one word.  
  
" Ron! "  
  
Lucius's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline.  
  
" Who the hell is Ron? " he demanded.  
  
Severus hid his grin. He hated to be the one to break it to Lucius but..  
  
" Ron Weasley. They've been together for, oh, must be three months now. "  
  
Lucius had gone rigid with shock.  
  
" Weasley? Arthur Weasley's son? That Ron?" Severus nodded.  
  
" No! I will not have my son consorting with any offspring of that flea-bitten, Muggle-loving disgrace to wizardkind. "  
  
Severus gave him a very direct look.  
  
" Do you know how much like your father you sound? Draco is completely happy. Are you going to force him into a loveless marriage and break his heart as well? Weasley adores him; in fact he's probably lurking in the corridor as we speak. "  
  
Lucius stood up and strode to the door of the hospital wing. He stuck his head out of the door and said,  
  
" You, boy. Come here. "  
  
Severus heard quiet footsteps and a tall, slender boy with flaming red hair nervously stood next to Lucius.  
  
" Are you Ron Weasley? " The boy nodded. " Yes, you're the image of your father. " Lucius drew a deep breath. " Draco has been asking for you. Why don't you go to him? "  
  
Ron's mouth opened and closed as he stared in disbelief at Lucius.  
  
" Go on! " said Lucius impatiently. Ron needed no second bidding. He ran down the ward and sank to his knees at the side of the bed. He reached out an unsteady hand and stroked Draco's pale cheek. His eyelids fluttered open; his grey eyes took in the sight of his father, Professor Snape and his lover and smiled weakly as Ron continued his delicate caresses.  
  
" What're you trying to do to me, Malfoy? " said Ron softly. " Give me a heart attack? " And he bent forward and kissed him gently.  
  
" Ron. You're here. " said Draco.  
  
" Of course. I've been trying to see you for three days. It's bloody freezing in that corridor but it was the closest I could get to you. Don't worry, I'll look after you now. "  
  
Draco smiled and nestled against Ron as a tear trickled down Ron's face and splashed into Draco's hair.  
  
" You're crying! " he exclaimed.  
  
" I've been so worried, you silly git. " sniffed Ron. " Now that you're on the mend, I might manage to sleep at night. "  
  
" So you do love me then? " teased Draco.  
  
"When you're better I'll show you how much. For now this'll have to do. " replied Ron and bent over to kiss him again.  
  
Realising they were about as welcome there as dry rot, Severus steered a wide-eyed Lucius out of the wing.  
  
" Leave them to it. " he said sagely.  
  
" They really love each other, don't they? " said Lucius quietly.  
  
" It certainly looks that way. " replied Severus. Lucius sighed.  
  
" He's his father's son, all right. Forbidden fruit is always the sweetest. Is there somewhere I can stay tonight? I'd like to be near him."  
  
Severus groaned inwardly at the thought of Lucius so close yet so unobtainable. How he wished things could have been different, that the paths of their lives had run in the same direction.  
  
He would give all that he had for another chance. A chance to make Lucius his own again. But he knew that would never be and it hurt.   
  
  
  
Author's note: This should really have been posted before 'Detention' and 'Catharsis' Look on it as a prequel if you will:)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
